


The Once and Future Crime Lord

by Tru_tru



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Awesome Morgana (Merlin), CrimeBoss!Arthur, F/F, F/M, I change character relationships guys, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Organized Crime, detective!merlin, just let it happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2020-01-14 13:43:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18477415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tru_tru/pseuds/Tru_tru
Summary: Based on the tumblr post- "Crime boss Arthur Pendragon didn’t expect to fall in love with the detective that was investigating his latest hit, but then again, love rarely is expected. The only problem is how he’s going to keep his real identity hidden long enough to woo DS Merlin Emrys."





	1. Chapter 1

Based on [this post](https://patroclusdefencesquad.tumblr.com/post/184179372817/crime-boss-arthur-pendragon-didnt-expect-to-fall) 

 

Merlin stared at the whiteboard intently. Six months worth of work was displayed across its surface, underneath the words ‘The Once and Future King’ written in Gwen’s neat handwriting. The title still annoyed him- no one who headed a crime organization deserved such a respectable title, but it was the name they had gotten from every low-level criminal they had interrogated.

Below the limited info they had managed to gather on the head honcho himself, there were mugshots of the few men they had ID’d as being part of his so-called ‘Round Table’. There was Gwaine Greene, internationally renown art thief who brought in millions for the organization and who’s cocky grin was the same in every mugshot they had of him; Leon Trent, once an arms dealer now possibly the ‘King’s’ head of security; and Lance DuLac, who had once been a surgeon with a record of humanitarian work- no one was quite sure how or why he had been roped into all this, but Gwen had a theory he was acting under duress. Merlin knew better than to contradict her- especially since every time she looked at his picture she got that wistful look in her eyes.

None of them had been caught yet, and there were doubtless more members that had yet to be identified. It was the strangest thing- these men broke laws like Merlin broke mugs- which was to say often and seemingly with great relish- but they had nearly no enemies in the criminal world. Anyone who they had managed to catch kept quiet about their dealings, and it wasn’t out of fear. If Merlin wasn’t so exhausted trying to catch the bastards, he might have even respected them.

“I think your tea’s gone cold.” Merlin looked to see Gwen was standing beside him, looking pointedly at the now tepid mug in his hand.

He sighed and set it down before rubbing his eyes.

“I know,” She said, reading his mind the way she always did. “But we’ll catch him.”

“He’s a ghost, Gwen. How do you catch a ghost?” She shook her head, mouth set firmly.

“He’s not a ghost. He’s a man, and a right cocky one at that. Those calling cards?” She pointed to the whiteboard where they had taped up one of the cards they had found at the scene of a bank robbery. A simple white square stamped with a sword and a golden crown- the same card that had been left at every robbery and killing they had linked to the order.

“They are proof of that. These guys are stealing from the wealthy and killing violent crime lords- no doubt their leader fancies himself a bit of a Robin Hood, yeah? He’s proud of what he’s doing, and he likes the attention. And the more he shows off, the more he risks being caught.”

He nodded. Her words made sense, but that didn’t make his elusiveness any less frustrating. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Now cheer up. You won’t solve it tonight, so relax. Didn’t you have a date planned?”

“Shit!” It was a mercy he had already set his mug down, else he probably would have accidentally smashed that one too. “What time is it?”

Just then Will called in from the bullpen, using the same teasing sing-song voice he had been employing since they were kids. “Mer-lin! You have a vis-itor!”

Merlin bolted out of the conference room, ready to give Will a smack in the head, and almost immediately pulled up short.

Arthur was standing beside his desk, his elegantly tailored suit fitting him like a dream.

He smiled and Merlin’s stomach dropped.

“Arthur! I can’t believe you came all this way, I thought we were meant to meet at the restaurant?”

Arthur came forward and _damn_ even his walk was sexy.

“Well given that you were twenty minutes late I had a hunch you might be tempted to get caught up in work, so I thought I’d just come and fetch you myself.” His hand slipped around Merlin’s waist like it was the most natural thing in the world, and planted a kiss on his cheek. Merlin immediately turned pink, feeling for all his years and experience like a smitten schoolboy.

They had only been on a few dates so far, and honestly, he wasn’t even sure how he’d managed that many. Arthur was gorgeous, sophisticated, charming, and Merlin was…well...

“Oi! Who’s the suit Emrys? D’you blow your life savings on a posh male escort?”

“Will!” Merlin glared daggers at his so-called friend. He turned back to Arthur. “Ignore him, he’s an idiot. And you were right, I did get caught up in work, I’m so sorry.”

Arthur waved it off. “Don’t be. Shall we?”

“Yes! Let me just grab my jacket.” He walked back into the conference room. Arthur trailed after him, no doubt hesitant to remain in the same room as the mad man who had just called him an escort.

“This your case?” He gestured to the whiteboard. Merlin retrieved his jacket and the cold mug.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Bloody maddening one at that- I could use a break.”

Arthur nodded, examining the board as Merlin slipped on the jacket. “I can see that.” Merlin followed his eye-line, which had picked out the more colorful comments he and Gwen had written on the board. Things like ‘Who is this prat??’ and ‘A calling card? What a tosser’, as well as a little doodle that Will had drawn beside Lancelot’s photo- Gwen with heart eyes and a speech bubble that said ‘What a hunk!’

Merlin shrugged, grinning. “Gotta have fun somehow.”

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. Merlin moved back toward him, eager for more physical contact.

They walked out of the precinct with Arthur’s hand once more around Merlin’s waist.

“I’m afraid we may have missed our dinner reservation.” Arthur said, the timber of his voice curling warmly through Merlin’s core. “Any preferences for what we should do instead?”

“Hmm…takeout and snogging?” Merlin offered with an impish grin.

Arthur nodded like he was considering the idea, but Merlin could see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Just snogging?” He lowered his voice so that only Merlin could here. “Seeing you in that leather jacket… I’m rather tempted to just shag your brains out.” Merlin bit his lip but kept his eyes straight ahead.

“You’re the boss.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who commented! This chapter is because of you!!
> 
> Also- PLEASE DON'T EXPECT A LOT I HAVE NO CLEAR PLANS FOR THIS STORY
> 
> Hope you like it! :)

**Six Months Ago**

The first Monday morning of the month saw Arthur’s most trusted employees gathered around the large round table in his penthouse. It never failed to fill the man with a deep sense of pride, seeing the men and women he had chosen all together like this, each one doing his or her job with the utmost care and devotion. And in their line of work, anything less would have been disastrous for all involved. 

“Morning everyone.” He said as they all settled in. A pair of attendants moved around the room, one offering fresh coffee; the other passing out folders with the information pertinent for that day’s topics of discussion. “I hope you all had a pleasant weekend. Who would like to start?”

To his left, Morgana cleared her throat, and he nodded for her to speak.

“While I’m happy to say that business has continued to thrive,” she began, speaking collectively about the many clubs she oversaw under the Pendragon name, “There has been a rather unfortunate incident involving Thomas Alvarr.”

“Figures.” Said Gwaine, “Never liked that bloke.” Morgana nodded once in agreement. Alvarr was one of the biggest cocaine distributors in the city, and while Arthur himself had no interest in that market, he knew as well as Morgana that it was unwise to make enemies with that influential a player.   

“I had been willing to put up with him up until now, but…” A look passed over her face that those who knew her well could recognize- the look of raw anger and hatred flaring, before being throttled and begrudgingly subdued.

“Go on.” Arthur prompted after a moment. A part of him was still a bit terrified of his half-sister, but more than that he was bloody glad she was on his side. Morgause, who sat beside her, put a hand on hers and squeezed gently. Morgana continued, staring straight ahead as she spoke. 

“He took a shine to one of the dancers at the Dragon’s Tale- Isolde. When both she and I made it clear he would not be given any liberties beyond the average customer, he followed her home.”

A cold silence fell over the room. Arthur gulped, his blood running cold.

“Is she…?" 

“She’s alive. A neighbor heard the noise and intervened. But not before he made an impact.”

“Bloody hell…” Murmured Leon. His comment seemed to snap Morgana out of her trance. She looked at Arthur, jutting her chin forward as if to defy the existence of her own emotions.

“I’ve given her a month’s paid leave, of course, covered all her medical and psychological bills.” Arthur nodded, though that knowledge did little to alleviate the knot that had formed in his gut. “But I’d like your permission to hire Mordred again to finish the job.”

Arthur hesitated. 

“Does Isolde want him dead?”

“She’s a sweet girl- I don’t think she would wish death on her worst enemy. I, on the other hand…” And Arthur could see the battle that raged behind his sister’s eyes- the bloodthirsty impulse she seemed to always carry and had only managed to temper it through years of self-discipline. Though he knew Morgause had had a hand in the process as well.

He nodded and considered the matter. Alvarr had been a thorn in their side for ages, and even if he hadn’t been, Arthur had known from the beginning what kind of organization he had wanted to build. Theirs was a dirty business, but no one who worked for them should have to suffer the way Isolde had suffered. Every one of the people at that table knew the score- those who worked for the Pendragons would be protected and provided for, no matter their position.

Clearly, they needed to remind others of that reality.

Morgana must have worried he was going to deny her request because she quickly added, “I know Mordred is expensive, but he works clean, and--” but Arthur held up a hand.

“Do it.” He said, and the relief in Morgana’s face was bright and immediate. “And let’s give the neighbor who intervened something as well. Nothing too obvious, he doesn’t need to know who it’s from.” She nodded, smiling. When he looked back at the others, he found similar looks of pride. He decided they needed to move on before the feeling went to his head.

“Someone else? I could use some good news right about now.”

Leon saw forward. “I’ve got news, but I’m afraid it’s not good.” He produced a blue folder and passed it towards Arthur. “We just got word from our informant in the LPD that they’ve begun an investigation on us. That’s all we have on it so far.”

“How worried should we be?” Arthur asked as he accepted the folder from Lance.

“Well it’s early days yet, and Lord knows we keep our tracks well covered. But from what I hear the lead Inspector- Emrys, I think- is good. And stubborn- ‘like a dog with a bone’ were the Constable’s exact words.”

There were a few chuckles from around the table, and Arthur himself couldn’t help but smirk as he looked at the photo that had been provided. He was young and fairly handsome, with eyes that shone with idealistic determination.

“Then let’s make sure don’t give him anything to grab on to, eh?” Arthur closed the file. “What’s next?”

The rest of the meeting went quickly- their profits were up, their many operations running smoothly and, after five years in the game they had earned the respect of some of London’s biggest players.

Arthur should have been pleased by all of this- and he was, truly. He had started out with nothing but a rag-tag group of con-artists and thieves and had grown that into a sizable criminal empire. He was finally at the point where he could sit back and start enjoying the fruits of his labor.

This, of course, made him restless beyond measure. It had been ages since he had been out on the streets, defending his territory or putting the fear of God into some wanna-be boss. So, after the meeting wrapped up, he pulled Leon aside and handed him back the folder on Emrys’ investigation.

“Do me a favor Leon. Get a few people together and do some recon on this guy, will you? No interference- just watch him. Establish his routine; places he goes, people he sees- as detailed as you can, alright? Have it on my desk by the end of the month.”

Leon nodded and took back the folder.

“You got it, boss.”

Arthur headed back to his office. Already the excitement of a fresh challenge was starting to build. He didn’t have a plan yet- that would form when he had more information. But one thing he was certain about:

He was going to have some fun with Mr. Emrys. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Five Months Ago**

Leon’s report was exhaustive. It contained not only all the current information available on the young Inspector but a deep dive into his past as well. Arthur now held in his hands everything from the man’s favorite hangout spots and closest friends to his university records and known allergies.

Merlin Emrys had been raised by his mother, Hunith, and godfather Gaius. After living in the same small town most of his life he had received a scholarship for the Royal College of Art but only attended for a year and a half before dropping out and pursuing a career in law enforcement. From there he had risen quickly through the ranks. Leon had even managed to acquire the recommendation letters every one of Emrys’ superiors had written him over the years- they were all glowing and painted a picture of a devoted public servant and brilliant investigator.

Arthur finished the report and set his focus on the gears that were already turning in his head. He knew what his father would say. _“Never underestimate an enemy son- take them down fast and hard the moment they show themselves. Leave no survivors._ ”

But Uther wasn’t the kind of leader Arthur wanted to be like. Arthur may be a criminal, but Uther had been a truly bad man. As one of the youngest men ever to achieve the office of Police Commissioner, he had created a legacy within the LPD of brutality and corruption. He had gone to his grave seeing his only son as a disappointment because Arthur had refused to even consider a life behind the badge.

These days, whenever he recalled one of the lessons Uther had tried to impart it was usually as a way of deciding what _not_ to do. But he did agree with one sentiment- he would not underestimate Emrys, he would just tread carefully. A file of hard data was one thing…to know a man’s true character was another. And Arthur had enough experience with pigs to know that no matter how shining a service record, most could still be bought or bargained with.

It was just a matter of finding out the price.

* * *

 

**Four Months Ago**

He had to start small- after all, he still had a massive organization to run and that left less time than he’d like to tail the good Inspector. He started by frequenting a coffee shop that had been in Leon’s report as one that Emrys would often go to. Once every week or so when time allowed he would don a baseball cap and fake glasses, take his laptop there and do some work. It felt so good doing something like this on his own again, he didn’t even mind that Emrys failed to make an appearance for the first few weeks. Arthur could be patient- he didn’t always enjoy the practice, but he could still do it.

He finally got lucky one rainy afternoon, when a great clamor tore his attention away from his computer screen. He wasn’t the only one either- nearly everyone in the shop had turned their heads to see the source of the racket. It was Emrys, rain-soaked and struggling with an umbrella that seemed to have a mind of its own. In the process of wrangling the offending item, he had managed to knock over a small bookshelf and the flower vase that sat on top of it.

 He winced and turned to the woman behind the counter.

“Sorry!” He stage-whispered, looking appropriately abashed. The woman- mid-thirties with long red hair- only rolled her eyes and waved him off.

“Just take a seat Merlin, before you hurt yourself.”   

 He went to do just that, but not before saying, “Love you too Marguerite!”  Arthur smirked, allowing his eyes to follow him as he slumped into a seat.

He was…well…fit. There was no other way to say it. Even despite a little inherent clumsiness, when he took off his raincoat, he revealed a lean but muscled frame, accentuated by a tight black t-shirt. He had beautiful pale skin and a strong jaw artfully dusted with stubble. Arthur had never really had a type- men, women, blonde or brunette- but he knew gorgeous when he saw it. And this man was utterly gorgeous.

Before too long another man walked into the shop and clapped him on the back- he was shorter than Emrys, with a stocky build and dark skin.

“Elyan!” The two hugged. Arthur was starting to get the sense that the Inspector was not the type who kept his emotions hidden, if the joy radiating from his face was anything to go by.

“Bloody hell, it’s been a while hasn’t it?” Elyan said as they sat down. Arthur remembered reading about him- he was Guinevere DuCaine’s brother, and the three had been friends ever since she and Emrys had met at the Academy. 

“I know, I know. I’m sorry man- this new case…you wouldn’t believe it. Looking for a needle in a haystack would be easier.” Arthur grinned at that (fairly certain he and his men were the needles in question) then pretended to check something on his phone, cursing his reaction. Clearly, his field work was a little rusty.

“And roping my poor little sister into the mess… tsk tsk tsk. Come on then-- how is she? I never get the full story from her, I can tell.”

They talked about Guinevere for a while, and while the particulars of her stagnant love life and struggle to maintain a positive outlook were less than interesting to him, he did enjoy hearing Emrys talk. He oscillated between irreverent humor and deep empathy, one moment voicing his genuine concerns for his friend’s happiness and the next giving Elyan guff for being an overbearing brother and not trusting Gwen to be able to take care of herself. 

The conversation weaved through various other topics- Elyan’s work at his father’s body shop and his plans to move in with his longtime girlfriend- before they came to Emrys’ own love life.

“So, what about you then? Any blokes I need to vet, make sure they’re good enough for you?” Emrys laughed.

“As much as I appreciate the offer, I’m afraid not.  It’s hard- work is always crazy, and… I don’t know. Juggling that and a relationship- it’s a lot of work, you know? I don’t want to do it until I find someone that I’m really crazy about.”

“Gwen says you’re still waiting for your fairy tale Prince.” Emrys chuckled a bit.

“She’s not wrong. And maybe that’s pretty stupid but…” He trailed off. Arthur glanced over and caught a wistful look on his face that made him a little sad.

“Well look, I don’t know about Princes, right? I know about fun. And I think you my friend, need a little more of it. How about we go out this Friday? We’ll go to that club…The Stables? The Chapel?" 

“The Armory?”

“That’s the one!”

“Come on. You really want to take me out to a gay club?”

“Absolutely! You need a night out, and I want an excuse to try one of those fruity drinks without any judgment. It’s a win-win!” 

Arthur took notes as they finalized their plans, already mentally working through what he would need do in order to keep that night free.

* * *

 

It had been ages since Arthur had gone to a club for non-work purposes. He was a little worried he wouldn’t have anything to wear. Luckily his physique hadn’t changed much since his uni days, and he was able to find a pair of black trousers and a white t-shirt, both of which clung attractively to his body. He was able to borrow a leather jacket from Morgause of all people and thanked his lucky stars for the fluidity of lesbian fashion.

The Armory was a decent enough location, though not really on his radar. It was the kind of place that only had the one kind of business (unlike the clubs he and Morgana owned) which was to say the very legal kind.

He had a driver take him there at about 10:30 pm just to be safe and grabbed a seat on one of the leather couches that surrounded the dance floor. At 11 pm he bought himself a beer and nursed it slowly as more men and women trickled into the venue.

He was about to order a second drink when Elyan and Emrys finally appeared. Neither had done much to dress up for the occasion, but Emrys…Merlin had shaved.

Arthur drank him in greedily in the dim light. It had only been a few days since the coffee shop, but in that moment, it may as well have been an eternity. He moved with more purpose here, his legs moving him confidently across the glitter stained floor.  

Elyan was true to his word and after placing their orders at the bar was served a fruit garnished martini glass of with pink liquid. He held it up with glee and Merlin clinked his own beer glass against it. The two drank and talked for a little while at the bar, looking around at the crowd. Neon lights flashed in time to the Lady Gaga remix that blasted through the space, and as the shadows danced across Merlin’s face, Arthur found himself wondering: what exactly was he doing here? 

Suddenly a man moved out of the crowd towards Merlin and Elyan- Arthur noticed him only a second before they did. He was handsome, almost annoyingly so, with classical features and sweeping brown hair.  

He leaned down and said something to Emrys, who looked at Elyan questioningly. Elyan waved him off, and the two made their way for the dance floor. 

If Arthur thought Merlin had been graceful walking into the club, it was nothing compared to the way he danced now. Eyes closed and head thrown back, he moved like he was in a trance. It was beautiful- or it would have been if it had not been for the bastard he was dancing with. He moved his hands possessively up and down the length of Merlin’s body, his chiseled features fixed with a hungry expression. 

It made Arthur sick…but he couldn’t look away. The DJ transitioned smoothly from one song to the next but Arthur had lost track of time. They could have danced together for only one song or maybe ten- all Arthur knew was the rage that was boiling in his veins. Finally- mercifully- they broke apart. Merlin mimed going back to his friend, but the meathead didn’t want to let him go. They stood on the dancefloor, and though he couldn’t hear a thing he could see what was happening.

Merlin wasn’t here for a one-night stand, and the meathead was none too happy about being denied what he had thought was a sure thing. But Merlin held his ground, and the man stormed off like a petulant child. Merlin returned to Elyan’s side and shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the encounter.

Once Merlin was safe with his friend again, Arthur knew it was time to go. He walked quickly toward the exit, his heart pounding faster than the bass line.

When the cool night air hit his face, he took a deep breath and remembered himself. Merlin Emrys was not a man he needed to protect; he was a _threat._ And more than anything Arthur still needed to know how much of a threat. Tonight had been a mistake, he had gotten off track. He was unaccustomed to being on his own again, it was understandable. But he knew what he had to do now.

Keep your enemies closer…wasn’t that the saying? Well, Arthur intended to get very close. Very close indeed.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who commented! I seriously wouldn't have kept this story going if I hadn't heard so clearly that y'all wanted more! <3 Enjoy!

**Two Months Ago**

It had not been easy creating a false identity that could hold up under even the most intense scrutiny, but Arthur knew for this plan to work it had to be done. After the incident at the club Arthur decided he had to let the rest of the round table in on his agenda- it took only a couple hours to construct a plan, and once he had it set in his mind he knew he could not have accomplished it alone.

There had been a few hesitant glances thrown around the table as he explained his objective, but no one had contradicted him. If he had been paying more attention, he might have seen several people look to Morgana questioningly, or even the slight head shake she gave in response as if to say ‘Don’t say anything. He’ll get there on his own.’

He didn’t of course, but that was probably for the best.

As the details of his alias’ online presence were finalized, he had set Gwaine to a task specially designed for him. He had grinned ear to ear as Arthur explained his assignment.

“That’s brilliant mate.” He said at last. Arthur grinned back- he had thought so too. 

And now, after all that work, he would finally be able to see Merlin again. That morning he chose a deep blue suit that complimented his eyes, grabbed the duffle bag Gwaine had delivered the night before and strode into Merlin’s precinct, his whole body thrumming with excitement.

Merlin was sitting at his desk near the center of the bullpen, the sleeves of his wrinkled button-up rolled to the elbows, exposing delicate wrists that Arthur wanted to pin against a mattress. 

Arthur walked straight toward him and cleared his throat.

“Excuse me officer, but I think I’ve found something that you might be interested in.”

* * *

To say Merlin was surprised by the gorgeous man who delivered a duffle bag full of stolen jewelry would be…an understatement.

Will had taken the case two months ago- a new petty robbery every few days, always the same MO. The thief would sneak into the home of some minor celebrity or sociality and steal some jewelry, yet always linger just long enough for his white masked face to be seen by the victim. Over forty people had been hit, and thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry stolen.

Jewelry that was now sitting in a bag on Merlin’s desk. 

“I suppose you’ll want to take my statement?” The blonde man said after a long moment of silence, and maybe if he hadn’t been so damn _handsome_ Merlin wouldn’t have been so bloody floundered.

“Um…uh…” He looked around the bullpen for Will, but the tosser had taken a long lunch just to be irritating. “Yes! I should…do that.”

The man eased into the seat beside Merlin’s desk, looking for all the world like a movie star doing a late-night interview. His smile was patient, but there was laughter behind his eyes. Merlin scrambled for a pad of paper.

“What’s your name?” 

“Arthur Pembroke- P-E-M-B-R-O-K-E.” Merlin scribbled it down.

“And you said you uh…you found this?” The man- Arthur- nodded.

“Yes. I own a number of flats around the city and during a routine cleaning of one of the properties _this_ ,“ He nodded toward the satchel, “Was found in the vents. The cleaners called the building manager and she, in turn, called me.”  

“And do you have any idea who the bag belongs to?”

“I’m afraid as a landlord I’m not quite that observant, Inspector…?”  

“Merlin. Emrys. That is- my name is Merlin Emrys, Inspector Merlin Emrys.” Bloody hell what was wrong with him? How could a stranger make him feel so utterly stupid in such a brief span of time?

 _Well the fact that he looks like a supermodel probably doesn’t help much,_ his brain added unhelpfully. 

Arthur though seemed unaffected (albeit a little amused) by his verbal clumsiness. He just kept his bright blue eyes fixed on Merlin’s face like it held some brilliant joke that only Arthur knew.

“Is… is there something on my face?” He asked, bringing a hand up to feel around. Granted he hadn’t shaved in a minute, but maybe the jellied bagel he had this morning had left a mark.  

“Nothing that shouldn’t be there,” Arthur answered. Fuck this bloke had charm to spare, didn’t he?

“Eh hem…right. Well if you could just fill out this form-“ He dug through his cabinet and retrieved the necessary paperwork. “And we’ll also need the names of everyone who lives in the building. If you could just excuse me one moment.” The sentence was barely out of his mouth before he was out of his chair and speed walking across the room to where Gwen stood.

“Gwen!” He grabbed her arm and pulled her aside. “Gwen, I need your help.”

“Merlin, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t look, but the man sitting at my desk right now? He just brought in a bag full of stolen jewelry and I’m pretty sure it’s from the string of thefts Will’s been working on.” Gwen looked confused.

“What, the Masked Man thing? Well, that’s great! Did he confess as well?”

“What? No, no- he’s claiming he found the bag in a flat vent, but that’s not the point. I need you to finish processing his statement.”

“Why?”

“He keeps…looking at me. And… _smiling_. It’s very off-putting- I’ve already put my foot in my mouth more than enough within two minutes of talking to him and if I forget to ask an important question or cock up the case somehow Will will never let me hear the end of it.”

Gwen’s confusion melted into a glinting smile.

“Merlin, are you saying he’s flirting with you?”

“What?! No!” Gwen turned to look at Merlin’s desk. Arthur chose that exact moment to look up from the paperwork he had been filling out to shoot another infuriatingly handsome smile at Merlin. “Christ, maybe. But if he is that’s even worse! He could very well be the thief and he’s trying to distract us or…or…”

“Or maybe he just thinks you’re fit.” She teased, and for a moment Merlin genuinely hated her.

“Well, we won’t know for sure until _you_ finish taking his statement.” She pursed her lips, considering. “Please?” He added.

“Fine. But if he asks me for your number you owe me ten quid.”

“Deal.” He said- because if that man had any interest in Merlin or his phone number, he’d eat his helmet.


	5. Chapter 5

It would be fair to say that hiding in the breakroom until Arthur had left the building was not one of Merlin’s proudest moments as a police officer. It was only when Gwen walked in less than an hour later with the news that he was gone that his shoulders slumped forward in relief.

“Did I mention you’re the best?” Merlin offered, with little hope of success. Gwen just rolled her eyes.

“He seems like a perfectly normal bloke to me.” She declared, joining him at the table. “A bit posh, to be sure, but not a thief. And not insincere in his interests either. Now shall we discuss _your_ madness today?” 

Merlin ran his hands through his hair, hoping the gesture will detangle the thoughts in his brain while they were at it.

“It was a spell.” Merlin decided. Gwen arched an eyebrow. “I was drugged?” She crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t know what it was _Guinevere_! And those seem like as good of options as any.”

“You fancy him, Merlin- it’s not rocket science. He’s handsome and charming and _blonde._ ” She emphasized the last word knowing full well that Merlin had always had a weakness for lush blonde men. “He’s the full princely package.”

“But he’s not a bloody prince! That whole charming prince fantasy was just a load of shite my teenage brain came up with to cope with being gay in a small town. It isn’t _real._ ”

Gwen shook her head, insufferably calm as always.

“Arthur seems pretty real. I have a whole lot of forms with his signature to prove it. Maybe this is just about you being too afraid to take a risk. Like that awkward gangly kid from Whitby couldn’t _possibly_ get the guy? Hm?”

 _Bollocks._ He really did hate how bloody insightful she was.  

“I hate you.” He muttered, which after many years of friendship they both knew was code for ‘You’re right but I don’t want to admit it’.

She smiled with satisfaction and went to fetch him a cup of tea as a condolence.

 

* * *

 

He decided to let it lie for a few days. He had Arthur’s contact info already, so there was no rush. Then, just after he’d _finally_ gotten his nerves into some semblance of order the man appeared again- out of fucking nowhere, right in his favorite coffee shop. 

“Well hello, Inspector!”  He was in a charcoal suit and deep maroon tie this time, leaning up against the counter with graceful elegance. Merlin froze for a moment, a deer in well-dressed headlights. Then, from the depths of his subconscious, a force that felt eerily like Gwen gave him a shove.

“Mr. Pembroke! What uh.... brings you to this side of town?” Arthur moved forward and Merlin had to fight the urge to take a step back. His grace was downright predatory.

“My sister’s flat is in the area. I was planning on meeting her, but she just told me she can’t make it.” He held up his mobile as evidence. “Seems it was kismet.”

Merlin laughed, his hand going to the back of his neck in an automatic gesture of guilt.

“Yeah. Actually, about the other day…”

“Wait. Let me say something first.” Arthur’s face became serious, and Merlin’s brain supplied a thousand worst-case scenarios for what he was about to say. “I wanted to apologize.”

“…oh?” That had _not_ been on the list.

“Yes. I know I can be rather…forward and…I got the impression I made you uncomfortable with my advances. I’m truly sorry.”

Merlin was speechless. Because the thing was, he hadn’t been that forward. Not really. Merlin had gone over and over the conversation in his head the past couple days, and _on paper,_ Arthur hadn’t said anything unprofessional. It was all completely unspoken, and while it had seemed clear at the time, there was every chance Merlin had been imagining it.

Until now. An apology was nothing short of an admission of guilt. For some reason, this fact gave Merlin the feeling that the ground between them had leveled. He stood up a little straighter and said,

“Well, you should be! Flirting with a police officer while turning in evidence? Not a very good look on you Mr. Pembroke.” Arthur didn’t miss a beat, smiling broadly.

“Please, call me Arthur. And you are quite right- it won’t happen again, Inspector.” He bowed his head as if he had been thoroughly admonished, but his eyes danced with humor. “It’s a good thing my actions weren’t misinterpreted as something more sinister. I might have ended the day in handcuffs- all just for trying to get your attention.”

“Well, you never know…sometimes great fun can be had in handcuffs.” Arthur’s reaction to that was priceless.

“Good lord Inspector- I think I may have entirely misjudged you.”

“They always do. And you may as well call me Merlin if you’re going to be buying me coffee.”

“Oh, is that what I’m doing now?" 

“Bloody well right it is, Mister Tailored Suits. I’m on a public servant’s salary after all!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short, I'm trying to separate the action in a way that makes narrative sense. More soon! Keep those comments coming! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO much for your lovely reviews.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mort=Mordred
> 
> That was a goof, but I fixed it.

**Present Day**

The moment they were through the door of Merlin’s flat the Chinese takeaway was abandoned on the kitchen counter without so much as a nibble. Arthur had been whispering filthy things in Merlin’s ear the whole time they had been on the tube, and Merlin had been powerless to do anything but focus on not getting hard in public.

Now all bets were off, and as soon as his hands were free of food Arthur had him shoved up against a wall, kissing him with shameless abandon. He broke the kiss to focus on the tender skin of Merlin’s neck, giving Merlin the opportunity to suck in a much-needed breath.

“Christ, Arthur…” They hadn’t done this yet. Every date they’d had so far had ended with nothing more than chaste kisses outside his door, and as badly as he’d wanted to jump the other man’s bones, Merlin had sort of reveled in taking it slow. 

Arthur though had apparently reached the end of his self-restraint.

“I need you, Merlin.” His hands were sliding under Merlin’s leather jacket and practically clawing at the fabric of his button-up. “I can’t wait anymore.” Merlin was more than happy to comply.

He shoved at Arthur’s shoulders, pushing him a few inches back and grinned wickedly. 

“Take off your clothes.” He said simply, before slipping past him and making his way to the bedroom, shucking off his own clothing as he went. He had made it down to his just his pants when Arthur pounced, catapulting them both onto the bed. Merlin yelped, but it quickly dissolved into laughter as a gloriously nude Arthur flipped him onto his back.

Arthur leaned back to look at him, and the laughter died in his throat. No one had ever looked at his body like that- with reverence and lust and something softer he couldn’t identify. 

“I’ve wanted this for so long Merlin…you have no idea.” Merlin opened his mouth to say a few weeks didn’t seem like all that long to him, but in a moment Arthur’s lips were back on his, and he never got the chance. 

It was utter paradise. Arthur’s skin was oven hot; his hands moved along Merlin’s body, touching and teasing, probing for weaknesses. He found them in the back of Merlin’s thighs and his overly sensitive nipples, and he proceeded to lick and pinch the latter until Merlin was a blubbering mess.

“Not…playing…fair!” He managed between whimpers. Arthur smirked.

“I never said I would.”

Merlin tried for his own cock, desperate for a little relief from the onslaught of arousal, but Arthur wasn’t having it.

“Don’t. You. Dare.” He half growled, and that only served to make his erection throb even harder. “Stay right there. Don’t move.” 

He clambered off the bed to rummage around in Merlin’s bedside table, finding condoms and lube almost immediately- Merlin may not have been easy, but he knew how to plan ahead. As he moved back into position between Merlin’s legs, Merlin got a proper look at Arthur’s cock and his stomach clenched with excitement. Size had never been a _thing_ for him, the way it was for some men. He was happy to make do with whatever a bloke had at hand. But he was only human, and Arthur was…fucking magnificent.

He saw Merlin’s wide-eyed expression of course and smirked again. He proceeded to make a big show of putting on the condom and spreading about the lube on himself, stroking unnecessarily as he went.

“You’re a prat.”

“A prat who’s about to fuck your lovely brains out.”

“Get on with it then.”

“Ask me nicely.”

Merlin huffed and pushed himself up to grab hold of Arthur’s shoulders. He looked him square in the eyes and said, with barbed sweetness, 

“Arthur my dear, I need you to fuck me. And if you don’t, I’ll go out to some dingy club and I’ll find someone who will.”  

The humor drained from Arthur’s face- that had done it. They had only been on a handful of dates, but Merlin could already tell Arthur was the possessive type. Everywhere they went together he kept a hand on Merlin’s hip or their fingers intertwined. He grimaced a bit whenever Merlin brought up his past relationships, and once he had full on glared at a barista who had been giving Merlin the eye. He loved it really- no one had ever been possessive over him before. And now seemed the perfect time to use it to his advantage.

“You wouldn’t,” Arthur said.

“Try me.” The words were barely out of his mouth before Arthur flipped him onto his stomach, pulled his hips up and penetrated his asshole with his tongue. Merlin cried out and for a flash, he was worried the neighbors might think he was getting murdered, but it felt too good for him to properly care.

“Fuck, Arthur!” He stopped for a moment, and Merlin could just picture the haughty look he must be wearing.

He only got a moment’s relief as Arthur put on the condom before he was spreading Merlin's cheeks and drizzling lube onto him.

Merlin’s threat must have been lingering in his mind because he didn’t waste any time on teasing, just stretched Merlin’s hole as much as was necessary before sinking in with a groan. 

It was excruciating. It was also utter perfection. 

Time didn’t seem too pressing, so it was anyone’s guess how long it lasted, but Arthur used the time well indeed. They moved easily together, occasionally changing positions, exchanging glances- both seductive and tender- until eventually, Merlin found himself on top of Arthur, riding him brazenly until the beautiful man finally came. Merlin followed a short while later, jerking himself off while Arthur’s hard but tender cock was still in his ass. 

They laid close for a while after that. Arthur turned out to be a cuddler, and Merlin had no objections to spending however much time he could wrapped up in his powerful arms. 

It was naturally at that point, sated and blissful as he was, that he started worrying. Sex had always been a very special thing to him- it brought out sides of people you couldn’t always predict. There was a kind of raw honesty to it, and it was impossible for him to divorce the act itself from emotions. Lying there, listening to the sounds of London’s traffic that managed to get through his windows, he knew…he was utterly done for. 

He loved Arthur, which was terrifying because when he got right down to it, he didn’t really _know_ that much about him. Arthur was carefully evasive about his past, and it didn’t take a badge to know the man was hiding things. But the badge and his many years on the force gave other insights- that Arthur was clearly a practiced liar, for example, and that he definitely had more money than even the wealthiest of landlords. Something was off, and his detective’s gut knew it.

But every time he looked into Merlin’s eyes, as hard as he tried to see some hint of dishonesty all he could find was genuine affection. Maybe even love. 

He was being selfish. He knew that. Selfish and probably more than a bit deluded, but he couldn’t help it. At long last, it seemed he had found his Prince Charming. And if this blew up in his face, he would have no regrets.

 

* * *

 

Arthur woke in the wee hours of the morning. Merlin had turned in his sleep and was not snoring lightly on the far side of the bed, still quite naked. He found a throw blanket draped across a corner of the bed and draped it over the sleeping detective. He didn’t stir, and Arthur took it as a sign that he was dead to the world. 

He moved carefully off the bed, narrowly avoiding the used condom he had thrown to the floor earlier. He found Merlin’s mobile was in the pocket of his jacket, and once he had it and the small case from his trousers in hand he went to the bathroom and locked the door. 

After plugging the device Lance had given him into Merlin’s phone, he set them aside and pissed. It would take about five minutes for all of Merlin’s contacts, texts and emails to be downloaded, so once he had washed his hands he sat on the toilet and waited.

As he sat, he couldn’t help but wonder what he was really hoping for. For Merlin to be dirty? Was that the best-case scenario? Arthur had grown fond of listening to Merlin talk so passionately about his job. It was always on his mind, and while that may have been frustrating to some, Arthur found the dedication quite admirable. 

If Merlin- a man Arthur had seen carry a beetle out of a café by hand to let it loose unharmed- was corrupt…it might break his heart. The idealistic part of him- a part that was none too small if you asked anyone who worked for or with him- wanted Merlin to be just as morally upright as he seemed. 

But of course, if he was then…then he would never want someone like Arthur. Could never accept him for who he really was... a criminal. It wasn’t pretty, and at times it didn’t seem fair because as unsavory as his methods were, he always tried to make the world a better, safer place.

But there was little chance Merlin would see it that way. And that was a fact that Arthur simply wasn’t ready to deal with. All he could do was enjoy this while it lasted, and hope that when the moment came, his heart wouldn’t break any more than he could stand.

 

* * *

 

At that very moment, Mordred was across town slitting a man’s throat.

It was a messy endeavor, but the client had wanted it messy and even in wet-work the old adage was true- the customer is always right.

He’s already on the fire escape when his phone rings. He usually doesn’t answer it while he’s working, or even leave it on, but the client is a bit of a micro-manager and his instructions were clear. But the number that pops up is new, unknown. He rarely gets unknown calls anymore, so on somewhat of a whim, he answers.

“I hope you know who it is you are speaking to.” He says immediately.

“Oh, I know,” Comes a quick reply, “You’re the infamous Mordred, right? You know what, don’t answer- I know you are. And I know you’ve worked for the Knights before. Well, I happen to be interested in paying you quite a lot of money for some information on their leader. I think you know who I’m talking about?”

He did. Arthur Pendragon, a man who left a bad taste in Mordred’s mouth. He took the work he gave because he liked Morgana, and work was work but…if left to his own devices he would have been happy to gut the arrogant prick from stem to stern. His so-called ‘Moral Code’ was an insult to the criminal profession, and his show-boating put anyone who worked for him at risk.

“Just what are you looking for?” He answered.

“I want you to find his weakness- whatever it may be. We want to hit him where it hurts.” Mordred smiled. It wasn’t his usual assignment, but no doubt the man on the phone knew that. He was either low on options or he wanted to show off by hiring the best of the best. Either option suited Mordred just fine. 

“It would be my pleasure.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO much for your lovely reviews!!
> 
> Shout out to kyoy who pointed out an error early on and Just__Sparks, whose in-depth reviews on every chapter give me all the warm-fuzzies! <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took longer than usual, so thank you all for being so patient! Hope you like it~!

**One Week Later**

Morgana scrolled through the news app on her phone, her head resting on Morgause’s chest. The other woman was sipping her morning coffee and looking over her lover’s shoulder, only half paying attention. The sun was still rising and neither was in any rush to leave the other’s embrace.

Morgause got bored of trying to make out the quickly moving font on the screen and was about to rest her cheek on Morgana’s silky hair when she felt her partner stiffen. 

“Oh god.” Morgause refocused her attention on the screen and caught a glimpse of the words ‘Crime Boss’ and ‘Deceased’.

“What is it?”

“Bayard Mercia. Looks like he was found dead this morning…natural causes, they think.” She relaxed a little- one less of the Mercia’s to worry about. The mob family was huge, and their power in the city went back generations.

“How old was he? Late 80’s? It’s a miracle he made it that long in our line of work.” To Morgause-still sleepy and content from their lovemaking the night before- that was all there was to it. The leader of the Knights’ biggest rival would now be pushing daisies, and no one even had to worry about a murder investigation. Win, win. 

But Morgana was up and moving, which meant the gears in her brilliant mind must have been turning furiously.

“Okay, you’re worried,” Morgause said, feeling the need to point out the obvious for her own benefit. “Why?”

“Don Mercia tolerated our expansion because he liked Arthur.” She said as she dug through her dresser drawers for something to wear. “But if he’s dead that means there’s a power vacuum. Next in line for the seat of power will be his eldest nephew, Lionel. He’s a wild card and not one who looks favorably on Arthur or me. He’ll be coming for blood, and he won’t be smart about it.”

“Got it.” Morgause began dressing as well. “Should I call anyone?” Morgana was the brains of the two of them, and Morgause was quite content with this- she would happily follow instructions. Whatever Morgana or the organization needed her from she would provide.  

“Not yet…but send out a mass text- a meeting at the penthouse, immediately.”

  

* * *

 

Merlin walked into work that morning to find the newspaper announcing Don Mercia’s death on his desk- likely a gift from Gwen, who knew he never watched the news of his own volition.

“Christ.” He said, picking up the paper and scanning the text below the headline. _The 89-year-old man was found dead of a heart attack late last night…titan of industry……after years being investigated by the National Crime Agency…leaves behind a sister…_ Gwen came over and extended a cup of already prepared tea towards him. He took it and sat down.

“You know what this means right?” He nodded.

“Power vacuum.” He held the tea but did not drink it, still reading. _“He had been in poor health for ages.” Said Shannon Mercia…no thoughts of foul play._

“Not for long.” She added. He nodded absently. They had needed to familiarize themselves of most of the major players in the city’s organized crime game and the Mercia’s were on that list.

“You buy the cause of death?”

“It’s pretty likely; it wouldn’t be his first heart attack. I’m sure the family will have an autopsy performed just to be certain.”

“We’ll need to keep an eye on it then.”

“You think the King could have ordered it?” Merlin frowned and considered this.

“Bayard was a bad guy but…the two groups weren’t at odds. Not actively at least. And without a card taking credit for the kill, it seems pretty unlikely.” She nodded.

“Good. Then we’ll put a pin in it for a bit. The boss won’t be in for another half an hour- I want to hear how things are going with that Prince of yours.” Merlin laughed. 

It took a moment for his brain to orient to the change of topic and he had a flash of Arthur sitting on a throne in front of a long table, surrounded by men ready to carry out a deadly command for the sake of his criminal empire. The thought made him shiver, but Gwen’s eyes- full of delight and interest- drew him back to reality. 

“He stayed over last week…and a few more nights since.” Blood filled his cheeks at the memories- Arthur’s appetite for sex was no small thing, and Merlin had taken great pleasure in seeing it satisfied. “It was…quite lovely.”

Gwen smirked. “I bet.”

“I think this could be something serious- the way he looks at me…but…”

“What?”

“It’s not anything solid just…a feeling that there’s something he isn’t telling me.” She nodded.

“He may be. It’s still early for you two…but it might not be something bad. Don’t worry about it too much.”  

 Merlin hummed in agreement. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Will's voice cuts him off.

“Merlin!” He’s holding the phone receiver in his hand and looking worried. “You better take this.”

* * *

 

Arthur made his way down to the precinct that afternoon. He was less than thrilled with how the morning meeting at the penthouse had done. Morgana was right to call it, and righter still to be concerned. But for now, there wasn’t much that could be done.

Lionel would likely come to assume the mantle of Don of the family, but they had no way of getting detailed info about how such things were done. Would it be put to a vote? Was there a mourning period before such matters were even discussed? They didn’t know.

They all agreed Lionel was reckless. Predicting his movements would be next to impossible. Lance had suggested sending someone to the funeral to offer condolences, but even that felt like a bad idea.

The matter would not be solved today, that much was clear. Arthur decided that there was no reason to cancel his lunch date with Merlin- maybe casual conversation would show if the police had any idea what moves the younger Mercia might make.

He was deep in thought as he walked up the street toward the precinct that he didn’t notice the man until he was in front of his face. He was clearly homeless; his face was obscured by a scraggly beard, his clothing dirt-stained and riddled with holes. He grabbed Arthur’s right hand with both of his own, covering his wrist- Rolex and all. 

“Spare some change, sir?” Arthur pressed his left hand into the man’s chest, just firmly enough to dislodge him.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you.” He muttered and moved forward. He patted his pockets as he went just to be sure- wallet, keys and watch were all still in place. 

He shook his head and set to getting his heart back to a normal pace. He had all of three minutes to do so, because when he came up the stairs of the precinct he found a bull-pen in chaos. Men and women were shouting into phones, several were packing up gear, and every tv in the room was turned to the same channel. He stopped a passing constable.

“Excuse me, what’s going on?”

“Hostage situation at a bank. If you’re not here for an emergency, I suggest you come back another time.” With that, the man walked away. Arthur didn’t move though. He searched the bullpen for a face he might recognize- Merlin, or even Gwen. They were nowhere in sight, and for several moments he stood there frozen.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder. He turned to see the man who had referred to him as a prostitute some time ago- Will. His face was grim.

“Where is he?” He asked before he had time to think.

“Merlin’s a trained professional. He knows what he’s doing.” Arthur did not care for the way he was avoiding the question.

“Where. Is. He.” He asked again, his hands clenching into fists at his side. Will saw and considered the man in front of him.

“Unity Trust. White Chapel.” He said at last. Arthur pulled his phone out and made his way back to the entrance. “You’re a civilian Arthur!” Will called after him. “You can be in front of the bloody building, you still won’t be able to do shit!”

“We’ll see about that.”     


	8. Chapter 8

When Merlin arrives at the bank, he is given a bulletproof vest, a squad leader to report to, and not much else. Armed robbery isn’t even close to his department, but union strikes have left many squads short-handed, and Merlin doesn’t complain. The sirens, the chaos- it’s all far more adrenaline-inducing than his normal work, so he falls in line with the other officers, eager to do his part.

He is assigned to Squad C, the leader of which is a thin but muscled man with a handlebar mustache, who’s voice is far more robust than his slight frame would suggest. He explains that their mission is hostage retrieval only- surveillance cameras have shown that the robbers have locked most of them in a side room. Their mission is to get them out safely while the lead negotiators try to talk the three gunmen out of the building.

Everything happens at light speed- a map of the building is spread out in front of them, sergeant Mustache outlines how they’ll be getting in and out, emphasizing that silence is golden here. The robbers have put these people out of sight so they can be out of mind- this squad is going to use that to their advantage.  

Minutes later a maintenance door is being opened and Merlin is following sergeant Mustache and the others into the building, trying to keep his footfalls as light as possible. 

The sergeant turns a corner and the four other officers, Merlin included, follow like a line of very tense ducklings. Even if they hadn’t had the information from security cameras, it would be pretty easy to know where the hostages were being kept, as the robbers had made a rather crude and painfully obvious barrier across the conference room door; a wooden chair had been propped up against it, and then a metal filing cabinet wedged beneath that.

The two men in front of Merlin- the biggest blokes in the lot- make quick work, staying impressively quiet all the while. The sergeant, being the only one who was actually armed, takes up a position in the middle of the hallway, facing the door that leads to the main part of the bank. Merlin doesn’t need to be told what to do next. As the other men set down the furniture, he steps forward and opens the door, slowly.

There are seven hostages in the room- three smartly dressed people he assumes are accountants, an elderly man, two casually dressed women and a young girl, about ten or eleven. 

As soon as he is inside he holds a finger to his mouth and says in a low but firm voice:

“It’s alright everyone. My name is Inspector Merlin Emrys. I need everyone to keep calm and stay quiet. We’re going to get you out of here.”

The two women stand first. They had placed themselves on either side of the girl, each holding one of her hands. There’s no way to know the relationship dynamics there, but both women had clearly taken it upon themselves to keep the girl calm and feeling safe. Merlin holds his hand out to them first.

“You first ladies. We’re going to get you out of here.”

“Are they gone?” Asks the woman on his right. Her face isn’t relieved like the accountants or the older man. “Why do we have to whisper?”

“We’re trying to get you out of here as soon as we can.” Merlin answers. The woman’s eyes widen. 

“You mean those thugs are _still in the building?_ ” Her stage whisper turns into an angry hiss. They are wasting time and the other officers knew it. The two burly men and woman begin rounding up the accountants and old man, ushering them out of the room with no trouble. 

“Please Ma’am,” Merlin implores. He looks pointedly at the young girl, who is looking up at her protector with confusion and fear.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Mutters the other woman- she’s a few years younger and starting to get antsy herself. She looks down at the girl. 

“Come on Julia, we’re going to get you out of here.” The girl lets go of the other woman’s hand and cling hard to the redhead's arm. Merlin walks them to the doorway and puts his body between them and the sergeant.

“Follow them.” He points to the officer who is helping the elderly man walk out the side entrance. They do as they’re told, and as they go Merlin hears the redhead telling Julia how brave she was, and how proud her mother is going to be of her.

Merlin turns back to the last woman. She’s still frozen- half in anger, half in fear. 

“Ma’am, please. I won’t let anything happen to you, but we’ve got to get you out of here.”  

She purses her lips and looks like she is about to come with him when the sound of a man’s voice comes from the hallway outside.

“Hey! What are you-” Whoever he is, the sergeant doesn’t let him finish. 

“MPS, put down the weapon son.” A gun cocks and Merlin has only a second to decide what to do.

He points to the conference room table and mouths at the woman _Hide. Now._

She does so immediately.

Merlin comes into the hallway and sees the sergeant pointing his weapon at one of the robbers, who is pointing _his_ weapon right back at the sergeant. Merlin comes to stand beside his squad leader. 

“Take it easy.” He says- a message to both men.

The robber is a young white guy, early twenties and he clearly trying to hide the fact that he is scared out of his mind.

“What, you think I won’t shoot a cop?” He challenges.

“You even think of it you’ll be dead before you finish the thought.” Growls the sergeant. Merlin sighs.

 “Sergeant, please. No one wants that outcome. Now, look-“ He turns his attention back to the robber. “There’s an easy solution here. Put down the gun and come with us. If you cooperate right now, we can make things easier for you. A lot easier than they’ll be for your buddies out there.”

The man shakes his head.

“I ain’t no rat.”

“What’s your name?” The question takes the man by surprise, and he answers without thinking.

“Colin.”  

“Colin, alright. Listen Colin- you’re right. You aren’t a rat. You’re a young man who has still got a lot of life left to live. You can have a life better than this one Colin. Better than robbing banks, threatening innocent people. You have a choice here, and you can choose to do the right thing.”

Colin shakes his head again.

“You don’t know me, man. What I’ve been through…I need this money.”

“You need _help_ , Colin. We can get you help.”  

Colin lowers his gun a fraction and looks at the floor. He stays that way for several moments, thinking hard. When he finally looks back at them, his face is set and Merlin knows he’s made a decision.

“No.” He says. “You can’t.”

The last thing Merlin remembers before he hits the floor is the sound of the sergeant’s deep baritone voice shouting something and pain the likes of which he has never felt before.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got away from my outline a little bit, but I liked it so I'm keeping it in :P

Arthur had been in many tense and dangerous situations in his life, the sheer level of panic and fear that was raging in his chest was something entirely new.

He rode with Gwen to the hospital. Neither spoke, but when they had arrived, just before they got out of her car, she grabbed Arthur’s hand. He looked at her, and he could see that she must have been feeling just as scared and helpless as he was. Arthur had never spared the other Inspector much thought. She was quiet and unassuming, and next to Merlin always seemed to fade into the background.

But here she was, offering comfort to a man she knew only as someone who had recently started dating her partner. To most that might have seemed a trivial connection but, in that moment with Gwen squeezing his hand he realized there was more to it than that. 

They both loved Merlin. They would both do anything for him, and this bound them together in a strange and wordless contract. One that might even go beyond her badge and his crimes.

He squeezed her hand back and gave her a brief nod. She had grounded him, at least momentarily, and together they walked into the emergency room entrance with more strength than they could have managed separately.

No one had the full story, but together Arthur and Gwen interrogated anyone they could- the nurses, the EMT’s who’d brought him in, the sergeant who had taken the shooter down- and twenty hectic minutes later they had the full picture.

The gunman had taken several shots at Merlin, but the vest had caught most of them. One bullet had gone through the unprotected part of his shoulder and gotten lodged there, which meant surgery to get it out. He would be going under in just a few minutes, and the outlook was positive.

So, they waited. They drank bad coffee and half-watched the mounted TV, which was currently playing old episodes of The Man from Uncle. Gwen checked her phone every three minutes. Arthur put his on silent. No doubt when he turned it back on there would be a flood of messages from Morgana and the others…but that was a problem for the future.

At some point, Gwen went off to find the cafeteria and came back with a few options for Arthur.

“Christ, thanks.” He hadn’t eaten all day, and the sight of the food made his stomach announce itself angrily.  

“How you holding up?” Gwen asked as she tore open a bag of crisps. Rather than answer, Arthur took a massive bite out of his sandwich.

“You know that feeling you’re having right now? The fear, the helplessness, the anger _about_ the helplessness…most of us in MPS, we know that feeling. Merlin knows it too.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke and kept her tone casual and he found he appreciated that quite a bit.

“Yeah?” Arthur kept his eyes on the ham and rye. “What do you about it then?”

“Everyone has their own way. Merlin though?” She chuckled. “He’s usually a bloody disaster. Throws himself at whatever he thinks is the problem, even when everyone around him is saying it won’t do any good. And if that doesn’t work there can be…quite a lot of shouting.”  

Arthur smiled. Of course, that’s what Merlin would do- the daft bugger was all heart. He even had a bullet in his shoulder to prove it.

His smile faded.

“That’s…not how I deal with things.”

“Oh?” Clearly, she wanted to more but was letting Arthur take his time in getting there. After a moment he said,

“My father taught me that every problem in life has a solution, it’s just that most people aren’t willing to do what needs to be done to solve them.”     

He didn’t look up to try to see her reaction, but he heard a little ‘hmph’- like she was deciding her feelings on the matter.

“Sounds like a bit of a git if you ask me.”

Arthur smiled and started to laugh. He decided he liked Gwen very much indeed.


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin doesn’t come to all at once.  He fades in and out of consciousness a bit at first, but soon the sounds around him start to clear and sharpen.

There are several kinds of beeping, the occasional set of passing footsteps…and voices. Voices that make him feel safe.

“I can’t believe him…absolutely foolish.”

“You don’t mean that, Gaius.”

“Oh yes, I do. And when he wakes up, he’s going to get an earful, mark my words.”

“Don’t believe him- he’s all bark and no bite.”

“Yes, well…Hunith would usually come through with the bite, God rest her soul.”

His body ached. He could feel needles in his arm, the stiff pillow behind his head currently holding his neck at _just_ the wrong angle. He wanted to say something, but his words wouldn’t form. His body was taking far longer than usual to obey his brain’s commands.

“I’m so sorry we’re meeting like this Professor Emrys.” He heard, “But I am glad to have met you. Merlin speaks very highly of you.”

Arthur? He demanded his jaw to open, his lungs to draw in oxygen.

“I’m glad to hear it! Though I must confess I’ve heard less than I’d like about you my boy- what did you say your last name was?”

“Gaius!” His throat was terribly sore, and it came out rather raspy and weak, but the instinct _not_ to let his family members interrogate your new partner was strong enough to make himself heard.

“Merlin!” He opened his eyes to see Gwen rushing up to his side to check on him. “You’re awake!”

He coughed and wheezed a bit, recovering from the outburst. Gwen handed him a cup of water with a straw, which he drunk down greedily.

“I wish I wasn’t.” Pain was beginning to make itself known- not just his throat but the whole left side of his torso.

Gaius was standing at the foot of his bed, his face full of relief. While the sight of him did nothing to dull Merlin’s pain, it was a comfort, nonetheless.

And then he saw, in a chair in the corner of the room…

“Arthur?” He stood, sheepishly, like he didn’t want to interfere in the moment. Merlin couldn’t believe it- suave and charming Arthur was _nervous_ about being around his family.

Merlin started laughing which, unfortunately, came out as more of a joyful wheeze. Arthur smiled back and came closer to the bed.

Merlin held out his hand and Arthur took it gently, minding the IV and heart rate monitor.  There was so much he wanted to say, but with Gaius and Gwen there and his throat so sore…there was only so much he knew he could get out. So he kept it simple, squeezing Arthur’s hand and saying,

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

* * *

Nurses came in to check his vitals, after which he slept a bit more. He woke up to find Arthur sitting alone, looking off into the distance.

He looked pensive and worried- more like a President in the Situation Room than a real estate mogul in a hospital.

“Hey,” Merlin said. His voice was a little stronger, and Arthur’s head snapped out of wherever it had just been. He stood and came over to the bedside.

“Hey.” He said warmly, all charm once more. “Your uncle and Gwen are grabbing some food. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

Merlin shook his head.

“I’m sorry.” He said. “This is the worst part about dating a cop. Gwen and Gaius, they know what’s on the line but, we never talked about…”

“Hey, hey.” Arthur was shaking his head. “You don’t need to apologize. I know your job has risks. The only thing that matters to me is that you’re alright.”

The guilt in Merlin’s gut ebbed away a little, and he smiled.

“Merlin…” The serious face had come back. “I need you to know…” He looked down for a moment as he tried to get the words out, and Merlin wondered if this was the part where Arthur confessed to having a secret family in Canada or something.

Then he looked into Merlin’s eyes and said.

“You are the most important thing to me. I know…I know it’s still early, but, Christ, you got _shot_ today and…no matter what else happens, I need you to know…I love you. I love you so much.”

Merlin hadn’t been in many romantic relationships, but he knew people. In that moment, he knew _in his bones_ that Arthur had never said those words to anyone before.

The realization almost broke his heart, but Arthur was saying them now, and to _him-_ nothing else mattered.

“I love you too Arthur.”

* * *

Mordred took off his headphones. His computer would continue recording whatever the tiny transmitter picked up, and as long as Pendragon was wearing his watch, in a couple of days, he would get enough information to take down his entire enterprise. But he had listened enough for tonight.

His employer seemed more concerned about taking down the _man_ than interfering in his criminal empire. It was a strange choice, but Mordred had a very strict ‘the customer is always right’ policy.

The man had asked him to find Pendragon’s primary weakness.

And he just had.


	11. Chapter 11

Lionel Mercia shut his laptop gingerly- as if any rough treatment to the item might jeopardize the information it held.  

The email Mordred had sent had been short and to the point- it needed to be, for just a minute after Lionel had opened it a mini-virus was released into the computer, erasing any trace that the email had ever existed.

Lionel had no head for computers and so had no idea how difficult such a hack was; to him, all that mattered was that he had gotten what he’d paid for- a way to take that posh bastard down in the most painful way possible.

Causing the man pain was important to Lionel. He had spent his late teens as an enforcer for his Uncle and took to the work with almost gluttonous delight. Though his methods had evolved considerably since those days, he had yet to lose the childlike glee for destruction and torment that well-adjusted children grow out of so quickly.

He was no child now though, sitting behind the grand wooden desk in his late Uncle’s study with an empire at his fingertips. Or so he imagined.

In truth, much of the ‘empire’- the remaining members of the Mercia family and those who had remained loyal to them over the years- were rather uneasy to have Lionel at the helm. Bayard had made the family a fortune in his lifetime- he had been a brilliant, shrewd businessman, loved and feared in equal measure. But as a man of his generation, he had been adamant that whenever he did meet his end, his successor would be the oldest man who carried the Mercia name.

It was a position he held onto stubbornly, even after he lost first one son, then the other, leaving Lionel the only one old enough to take on the mantle.  

 Lionel knew he wasn’t this Aunt’s or his mother’s first choice, but he had plans to prove himself a stronger leader than Bayard had ever been.

Plans that started with ‘dethroning’ a certain so-called King.

He was considering how best to execute his plan when he heard popping and smacking coming from the office doorway. He looked up to see his younger sister Caroline leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, chewing her gum as sardonically as one could chew gum.

 “Well look at you,” She drolled, looking him up and down with glitter-shadowed eyes. “And Uncle Bay isn’t even cold yet."

“He’s in the ground- that’s cold enough,” Lionel growled. Caroline rolled her eyes. Lionel got up and made his way to the little bar across the room. His sister’s voice was already starting to give him a headache.

“Loootta pres-suuure.” She crooned in a sing-song voice while inspecting her perfectly manicured nails. “Hope you don’t _crack_ I mean,” She lowered her voice in mock sympathy, “We all remember what happened when you tried to handle something on your own. How many kilos of coke was it you lost again?  Five hundred? Six? And poor Derek…it’ll be years before he even gets a chance at parole.”

Lionel slammed the bottle of Jameson he was holding onto the surface of the little bar, making the glasses and bottles inside it shake. Caroline didn’t even flinch.

“Sod off Caroline- don’t you have something to get waxed? Better yet, why don’t you give Lucky a call? I’m sure he’d be happy to have another cheap whore to add to his stable.”

Caroline’s eyes narrowed in fury for a brief second, but then the look was gone, replaced by a look of smug assurance. She looked at the desk where he had been sitting.

“Enjoy the seat of power while you can, _Nelly_.” Lionel cringed at the childhood nickname. “I have a feeling you won’t be there long.”

With a dismissive flip of her hair, she turned to go, leaving Lionel with nothing to do but glare daggers at her as she walked back down the long hallway. She hadn’t even bothered to close the door on her way out.

Lionel stalked across the room and slammed the solid wooden door, fuming.

 _Fucking bitch_ , he thought. She had no idea what he was capable of- well she would find out soon enough. They all would. Then he would get the respect he deserved.

He pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Micky, get the boys together. I’ve got a job for you.”    

* * *

“I’m alright Gwen, really!” Merlin insisted as he got into the passenger’s seat of Gwen’s car. With only his arm in a sling he was fully capable of moving on his own, but Gwen had started fussing and fretting pretty much as soon as the discharge papers had been signed.

Gwen closed the passenger’s side door with care before getting in the driver’s seat. Merlin made sure to have his seatbelt buckled before she got there, just to make sure she didn’t attempt to do that for him as well.

“I still think you should have stayed another night.” She shook her head as she started up the car.

“Relax Gwen- I’m going home to bed, not jumping back into the field.” Gwen side-eyed him.

“So, you aren’t going to ask me for updates on the case?” She asked suspiciously. Merlin settled in for the drive, the pain medication making him feel loose and relaxed. He closed his eyes.

“Oh, I never said that.” He heard Gwen huff and it made him smile.

“Well, there isn’t even anything to tell. Knight activity is quieter than usual, and if the Mercias are planning anything, no one is talking about it.”

Merlin nodded. “What’ll you be up to then? While I’m on bed rest?”

“Not sure yet. I think we need a new angle. I might put in a request for someone to go undercover or…try to bait one of the Knights out of hiding somehow.” She spoke casually, focusing more on the road than on any potential brainstorming. She was probably just trying to make Merlin feel like his absence wouldn’t slow down the case- she knew he hated feeling like he was letting anyone down.

“Hmm…” He kept his eyes closed, enjoying not having to navigate the streets of London himself. He imagined the whiteboard back at the precinct, the one with the details they had of each member of the Round Table. “We should just leave them alone, I think.”

There was silence for a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“Just…” Merlin struggled to find the right words. “Let ‘em be. The Knights. I don’t know if…I mean, are they so bad? Crime happens Gwen, can’t stop all of it. Rather it be them doing it then Mercia.”

“Merlin?”

“Hm?”

“Just how stoned are you right now?” Merlin considered the question.

“Only a bit, I think.”

“But, clearly enough that you think letting the Round Table- a _criminal_ organization- have free run of the city is a good idea?”

“Eh…not _free_ run, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

He doesn’t say anything else, just lets Gwen maneuver him up the steps to his flat and into bed. He is asleep in moments, his dreams filled with swords and castles and a brave knight in shining black armor.   


	12. Chapter 12

After finally tearing himself away from Merlin’s hospital bed, Arthur had spent the last few days getting back in the loop on Round Table operations. It was heartwarming to see how well his team worked, even with their leader missing in action.

Gwaine had meetings with several contraband importers that had gone splendidly; Pellinore had flagged several weak points in their money-laundering system and corrected them immediately, while Lance had prepared a report on a few charities that could benefit from some of that extra income.

Arthur was ready to believe that the only thing he had to worry about now was Merlin’s recovery. That was, until Morgana asked to have dinner… just the two of them.

The siblings didn’t eat together often, but when they did, it was almost always because Morgana wanted to berate him for something. There were benefits to this style of course- she could vent her frustration without making him look foolish in front of his Knights, not to mention he got a nice meal out of it- but his stomach still sank at the prospect of being upbraided by his sister.

Growing up in the strict household of Uther Pendragon, Arthur had spent much of his youth doing his best to follow every rule to the letter. Thirteen years he spent, never questioning him, never doing more than he was told to. Even with that his father always found a way to be disappointed in him. No matter how hard he tried, how much he excelled, it was never enough.

And then Morgana showed up. She barged into Uther’s life with no warning, an element of pure chaos he could not control.

Uther, it seemed, had had an affair while married to Arthur’s late mother. Igraine had gotten pregnant, but Uther was up for promotion and he knew a scandal like this would ruin his chances. He offered her a large payout in exchange for her keeping quiet, and Igraine was happy to take it.

She had seen the man he truly was and wanted nothing more to do with him. She had kept the truth from Morgana for years, but when the girl turned sixteen Igraine decided that she was old enough to know everything.

Days later she was on Uther’s doorstep, the very definition of cold fury.

Arthur was stunned- for the first time he saw his father caught off guard. Not just because she had shown up out of the blue, but because immediately after that she began making _demands._  

The way she saw it, she could still make waves if it was revealed that a man of Uther’s rank on position had an illegitimate child- and had paid off the mother so callously to boot. She had him over a barrel.

It was equal parts terrifying and glorious. She did things he had never dreamed possible- she talked back to Uther, she came and went as she pleased, and broke more house rules than Arthur had even remembered there were.

Best of all, she saw Arthur. Really saw him- not just how brilliant he was, how hard he worked, but also what Uther had done to his self-esteem…and how scared and small he always felt. As soon as she did, she made it her mission to undo all the lies that Uther had spun for him. She urged him to be proud for his own sake, taught him to take what he wanted without asking, without feeling guilty. She taught him the thrill of breaking rules, sometimes for your own benefit and sometimes just for fun. 

Morgana hated Uther, but soon she was putting up with him just to be around Arthur and make sure he was ok. It seemed she had been just as lonely as he was.

They became thick as thieves- an expression that soon became quite literal. Their shared passion for breaking the rules had become a passion for breaking laws. It was all downhill from there. They both went to University (on Uther’s dime, of course), determined to learn as much about the system in order to be able to work outside its bounds. They had made their first million before Arthur had turned 20.

They created a system of working with people- Arthur was the face, the figurehead. He was direct and took charge, while Morgana kept quiet and observed.  She let people think Arthur was in charge, even had a bit of fun ‘branding’ him and his organization as a King and his Knights.

Arthur had no taste for the dramatic, but the pageantry of it was so much fun for Morgana that he never even bothered fighting it. Regardless of the whole ‘King’ narrative, the two of them had always been equals. And truth be told, Arthur would probably be lost without her.

He arrived for dinner at 6, precisely, and found a table in a back corner. The bistro she had chosen was elegant but cozy, so Arthur had chosen his attire to match- a Hugo Boss three-piece suit, no tie.

She arrived ten minutes later (fashionably late without being rude) as he’d expected.

“Arthur.” She smiled in a quick flash and sat down. “Thank you for coming.”

“Before you say anything else,” Arthur interjected, “I know you’re upset with me. But can we at least order first before we get into it? I’m bloody starving.”

That got a genuine smile from her, along with an eye-roll. They were business partners, but they were siblings before anything else.

“I’ve already ordered you a glass of Merlot.” He added, trying to butter her up. She held up her hands in surrender.

“Yes, fine. Let’s eat.”

The food was truly wonderful, and Arthur was thankful Morgana let him get a good hunk of his steak finished before she said,

“I’ll assume you know _why_ we have to talk then?” He sighed.

“I can guess.” He wasn’t stupid, despite what his recent actions might indicate.

“It’s gone way too far Arthur- do you even remember why you started seeing him?”

“ _Yes._ “ He said firmly, “And for the record, we have never had this level of access to the investigation on the organization. We are ten steps ahead of them at least- just this month we’ve been able to deal with four separate information leaks we didn’t know about before. Not to mention-”

“I’m not arguing that there are benefits of you dating a Detective, Arthur. What I am _questioning_ is whether or not you have become, well…” She searched for the right words. “Emotionally compromised.”

“Well I think _compromised_ is a rather strong word.” He tried.

“Christ Arthur. You know you aren’t fooling anyone- you’re in love with him! Everyone can see it. And it’s worrying. Especially after last week. Merlin was in the hospital and you _disappeared!_ “

He couldn’t deny that, though it wounded his pride a little to know that his feelings had been so transparent without his even knowing.

“Just, try to play this out into the future. You can’t possibly hope to have a future with him, can you? Living a double life the entire time; lying to him, having to remain constantly on guard so that he doesn’t figure out who you are. And if that _does_ happen, we _all_ go down.”

His heart sank. She was right- this whole thing had been insane. He was putting people at risk, everything the two of them had built together.  He couldn’t look Morgana in the eye.

“You’re right. I’m so sorry Gana, I…I don’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t thinking about it, not really.”

She put her hand on top of his.

“I know.” She said kindly. “You got swept away, lost perspective. It happens- but it can’t continue. Please, promise me you’ll put an end to this.”

He swallowed hard, fighting back tears with all this might.

“I will. I promise.”  She squeezed his hand. He kept his eyes on his half-eaten steak. He loved Morgana. He wanted to do right by her, and even though he had no clue how we would even begin to keep that promise, he resolved to try.

Just then, his phone rang. He looked at the screen, not intending to answer, and his eyes went wide.

“What?” Morgana asked.

Arthur stared at the screen.

“I’m…I’m getting a call from Bayard Mercia.”

“Are you serious?” He held up the screen to show her. She looked at it hard and then back to him.

“Answer it.” She said firmly. He did.

“Hello?”

“Arthur Pendragon. Lionel Mercia here- hope I’m catching you at a good time.” For a move this unprecedented, the man’s tone was alarmingly casual. Arthur immediately put the call on speaker. Morgana leaned forward and he lowered the volume just to be safe.

“Hello, Lionel.” He said back, as coolly as he could manage. “This is a fine time- though I’ll admit I was a little surprised to see your Uncle’s name pop up on my phone.”

Lionel laughed.

“Well, I can see why you would be! I wouldn’t fancy a call from the grave any more than the next bloke!"

He looked at Morgana. She looked as confused as he was.

“But all kidding aside- I wanted to call you in person, Pendragon. So you can hear what I’m about to say and know it came from me.” His tone shifted then, becoming serious and sinister. “I don’t like you, Pendragon. I never understood why my uncle never did anything about you and your sodding “Knights”, but he’s in the ground, so it doesn’t bloody matter.”

A chill ran down Arthur’s spine.

“We’re doing things my way now, and whatever peace there was between us is over.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, _that’s so._ ” Lionel mocked. “It’s time you and I had a little chat. And when I say you, I mean _just_ you. Unarmed, without any of your little tin soldiers.” Arthur took a heartbeat to consider what he was saying.

“And just why would I agree to that, Lionel?”

Mercia chuckled darkly.

“Because if you don’t…I’ll blow your boyfriend’s head off.”

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
